


Shadow in the Forest

by Kairosclerosis



Category: Harry Potter - Fandom
Genre: Almost Drowning, Bacon, Boys Kissing, Cuddling, Drinking, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Hickies, Kissing, M/M, Mutual Pining, Near Death Experience, Nudity if you squint, Pining, Plot Twist, Post-Battle of Hogwarts, Reunion, Sexual Tension, Shirtless Harry, Slow Burn, Steamy Showers, Swimming, Unresolved Tension, angsty Harry, late night champagne, lots of chemistry, now they've both been shirtless so it's fair, shirtless Draco, sleepover, very cute pupper
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-27
Updated: 2017-05-19
Packaged: 2018-10-11 10:29:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 13,388
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10462851
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kairosclerosis/pseuds/Kairosclerosis
Summary: Harry's breath caught in his throat at the sight--platinum hair, cheeks flushed pink, a slight smile bigger than any he'd ever seen on Malfoy's face. He'd never really understood how pretty the man was. Then again, he'd never seen Draco asleep, shirtless, and using a giant white dog as a pillow.ORMinerva McGonagall thinks Harry needs a little time alone, in a cabin in the woods, to recover from everything he's gone through. Little does he know that Draco Malfoy also needed a little time alone. They both need to heal, but could they do it together?





	1. Introduction

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! Thanks for deciding to read this fic! It's my first time writing Harry Potter, so we'll see how it goes. This first chapter is just a short intro, but I should be posting the first full chapter later tonight. This should end up being a fairly slow burn relationship wise, but faster smut wise, if it all works out. Enjoy!

Headmistress McGonagall peered at Harry over the top of her half moon glasses, making him squirm in his seat slightly. It had been a really long time since he'd sat in the seat in front of the headmaster's desk, feeling vaguely like he'd done something wrong. 

"Do you want to tell me why you threw your glass at Ms. Granger today during breakfast, Mister Potter?" The witch asked, not unkindly. 

Harry sighed. 

This morning had been rather rough. He'd woken up from dreams about Tonks and Remus staring up at him, eyes glassy, unmoving except for lips whispering that it was his fault their son would never have a father. It wasn't an uncommon dream, but it always resulted in embarrassing hot tears sliding down his cheeks as he tried to be quiet and not wake everyone in the dorm up. Not that there were too many people in the dorm nowadays. Dean and Seamus hadn't felt the need to come back after the Battle for their last year. So now it was just him, Ron, and Neville. 

Anyways, he hadn't wanted to wake them up, so he'd just gotten up and gotten dressed at three AM and gone down to the common room. That had resulted in him being cranky and sleep deprived at breakfast. 

Then Hermione had told him that he should really being doing his homework, because just because they were seventh years now didn't mean they could skip their responsibilities, and Harry threw a cup at her. 

It was meant to be teasing, but something about the way she thought he was just fine and could do his homework, after all that had happened...

Well, he had thrown it a little harder than intended. 

"Is she okay?" Harry asked miserably, refusing to look up from his lap and meet McGonagall's most likely disappointed gaze. 

"Madame Pomfrey is healing her, it was only a bruise," the headmistress said, then paused and spoke again in a softer voice. "It's alright for you to still be healing too, Harry. You went through more than anyone, and it's normal to have... outbursts."

He didn't say anything, trying to keep from yelling that he was falling apart, that Hermione and Ron were dating now and Ginny had something going on with Luna and barely half of his friends had come back this year and half of the ones who hadn't come back didn't because they were dead, and he had no one at all. 

Instead, he just mumbled "I'm fine," and crossed his arms. 

"No, you're not," McGonagall said sternly, and Harry glanced up to see her looking rather frustrated. "So, regretfully, you're suspended."

"What?" Harry exploded out of his seat, standing up and staring at her incredulously. "I didn't mean to hurt her, Headmistress, you know that, I can't leave Hogwarts right now, I'll go crazy!"

"You're already going crazy here," McGonagall pointed out, arching an eyebrow and waiting for Harry to sit down once again. When he did, she continued. "I want you to go to a retreat Hogwarts has. It's a forest, with cabins. It's secluded, meant to be a place for any student to go when they need to. There's another student there already, although he's far enough away that you shouldn't run into him." Harry arched a skeptical brow and she crossed her arms, simply adding "it's a rather big forest."

"Harry," McGonagall continued, leaning forward and looking directly into his eyes, "you hate being here. Your best friends have apparently annoyed you to the point where you're throwing things at them. Go to the forest. Practice magic, practice cooking, read books, take walks, recover and heal on your own. Hogwarts will be here for you when you get back. It's just a break, not a goodbye."

The prospect was, admittedly, not horrible. He could have a whole house to himself, and maybe... 

Well, maybe a month or two alone was what he needed. He could deal with this stuff in his head, get a handle on his emotions, and then come back and graduate. It could actually help. 

"Fine," Harry said, feeling like he would either very much regret this decision or very much appreciate it. "I'll go."


	2. The Boy and his Shadow

Harry woke with a yawn, the sun streaming into his window as it did every morning at dawn. He wasn't sure what time it was, as there weren't any clocks in the cabin, but as the weeks had gone by time had become more and more irrelevant. The wizard took a couple minutes just laying in bed, looking at the ceiling and enjoying the warmth of his sheets, then got up and padded downstairs in his pajamas. 

He turned on the oven, putting a pan over the burner and cracking an egg into it. He made an omelette with no magic involved, then ate it and cleaned up. After, a novel about a quidditch player who was trying to win the heart of their biggest rival was calling his name, so he plopped down onto the couch and read for a bit in his pajamas. 

When he'd gotten through a few chapters Harry got up, going back upstairs and changing into jeans and a long sleeved t shirt. A hike sounded good. 

As he exited the cabin, well worn walking stick in hand, Harry couldn't help but let a smile cross his face. 

The air was cool and fresh, smelling like early morning and wet dew. Birds were chirping in the trees, there was running water nearby gurgling peacefully. It was cool but not cold enough for a jacket, and the sun shone in broken rays through the green leaves. 

It was just... nice here. Thoughts of the battle barely ever crossed his mind, and when they did he was able to work through them instead of shoving them away for later. And when he did get frustrated there was no one here to hear him yell at trees, which was liberating.

Harry walked for what seemed like hours, just enjoying the silence and thinking of nothing. He wished he could've brought his broom with him to the forest, but McGonagall said that muggles might be able to see him above the trees. That little comment had made Harry curious as to where he was, but not curious enough to actually leave the forest and find out. 

The forest was his to cherish, his sanctuary. The ball of anger and despair that had been so constant in his chest had slowly ebbed away in the three weeks he'd been here, leaving him slightly emptier but also a lot less angry and dramatic. All the problems of the outside world seemed, well, less problematic. 

Still deep in thought, Harry followed a trail to its end and stepped onto a small, rocky beach. A river ran three or four feet away, and across the river--

Across the river there was a grassy bank, and a there was a giant dog and a man sleeping on its shore. 

The dog was bright white, and the man contrasted it in every way, black pants and shoes, except his hair, which was so white it matched the dog's fur. And his skin, which he was showing a lot of considering he didn't have a shirt on. 

Harry could've recognized that hair anywhere, and his breath caught in his throat as he took in the sight. Even from across the river he could see that Malfoy's cheeks were flushed pink, a slight smile bigger than any Harry'd ever seen on the man's face. Harry had never really understood how pretty Draco was. Then again, Harry'd never seen him asleep, shirtless, and using a giant white dog as a pillow. And... he'd never really seen him smile. 

The whole scene was amazingly picturesque, and Harry found himself unable to keep from staring. It was hard to hate someone hanging out with a dog, especially one as fluffy and huge as the one Draco was sleeping on. He just looked so peaceful, and none of the annoyance or disgust Harry usually felt at the other man's face rose up inside of him. 

And then, as he took a step forward, Harry felt himself trip like a dumbass. Because of course, he hadn't been looking where he was going. Instead he'd been staring like a stalker at a sleeping person. 

He hit the water with a splash, hands flying out in front of him to catch himself but just meeting more water. The river was deep, deeper than he'd expected, and the current swept away his walking stick, leaving him scrabbling for purchase. It was cold, and Harry couldn't seem to figure out which way was up and which was down. It took ages for his head to break the surface, and when it did Harry started gasping for breath, just trying desperately to stay afloat. The Dursleys had never bothered to teach him to swim, so he was doing some sort of strange doggy paddle, and water was going up his nose. He started choking and went underwater yet again. 

Maybe drowning wouldn't be too bad, Harry reflected as he thrashed around. Peaceful, anyways. 

And then something grabbed the collar of his shirt, pulling him up and away. Harry's head broke the surface of the water and he gasped, taking in as much air as he could. He was dragged onto the grass and started coughing, rolling onto his stomach and trying to catch his breath. Jesus fucking Christ. It took a bit for him to cough up all the water in his lungs, heart beating frantically and hands shaking from adrenaline. 

"You really can't swim at all, Potter?" A voice asked dryly from behind him, and Harry remembered who he had been watching before he made a fool out of himself. 

He quickly got off of his hands and knees and turned around, trying to salvage some dignity. It was rather hard with his clothes sopping wet and hair dripping into his eyes--his glasses-less eyes, fuck, he'd need to get some new ones--but at least he was trying. 

Draco Malfoy was standing in front of him, still shirtless, except the smile and blush were gone. He had a hand worked into the fur of the giant dog sitting next to him, which Harry realized with a jolt was sopping wet. Had Draco sent it into the water to save him?

Why? 

"I--yeah, I can't swim," he fumbled, running a hand through his wet hair and pushing it back. "Never learned."

Draco snorted and said, "Well, I guess you're pretty goddamn lucky Shadow was here to save you."

Shadow? Who the hell was- oh. "You named that dog Shadow?" Harry asked disbelievingly, looking down at the dog. 

"Yeah. Why do you care?" Draco's cheeks had flushed again, turning bright red this time instead of pink. He was still shirtless, and Harry's stomach twisted in a weird way at the sight. Why was he shirtless?

"It's just-- it's white," Harry deadpanned, and when Draco rolled his eyes he dropped the subject. "Well, I guess thanks for saving me. What are you doing here?" 

"What am I doing here? I should be asking you the same question," Draco said defensively, crossing his arms over his pale chest. "McGonagall sent me here because she thought I had issues or whatever, but she said it was a private place, not that the Boy Who Lived would show up to interrupt me." 

Harry chose to ignore the last comment and just nodded, looking at Shadow. "So you brought a dog with y-you?" He had to fight his shivering to get out the last couple words, wrapping his arms around himself. The river had been really fucking cold. 

"Yeah," Draco shrugged, then looked Harry up and down. "Jesus, you look like a wet rag. Here, wear my shirt. We can go back to my place and I'll make you some soup or some shit." The teenager picked up a black shirt lying on the ground to Harry, who picked it up and looked at Malfoy warily. "C'mon," he said impatiently, and Harry sighed. 

He turned around and stripped off his wet shirt, dropping it to the ground and doing his best to shake off the water covering his torso before slipping Draco's on. It was a bit small, but warm, and soft. "I don't know if I should come," he said awkwardly, thinking back to their time at Hogwarts but trying not to be rude. 

Draco grit his teeth and looked at the sky as if he were trying to restrain himself. "Here," he finally spat, thrusting his right arm towards Harry, palm up. Harry wasn't sure what he was supposed to be looking at, as everything was a bit fuzzy around the edges without his glasses, but when he stepped forward he saw it. 

There was a long, red, angry scar stretching down his forearm where the dark mark used to be. Harry sucked in a breath through his teeth and stepped back, looking up at Malfoy his chest had twisted tight again, and there was a painful throbbing accompanying it. 

"See? Not a death eater," the boy pointed out. Harry didn't know what to say, and there was an uncomfortable pause. 

"So are you coming or not?" Draco asked. Harry grimaced and ran a hand through his hair. Well, what the hell did he have to lose? Nothing. So he nodded and picked up his shirt, following Draco onto a small, winding path. This was going to be an experience.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! I'm really excited to see where this story ends up going, as its kind of writing itself right now. Please leave comments if you're enjoying it, and you can get in touch at @pluspeggy on Instagram. Thanks so much for reading!


	3. Warm, Steamy Showers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I'm keeping to my posting schedule, at least for the first day! Keep in mind I have no comprehension of how long my chapters are or should be, so it's possible you could only get a thousand or so words on some days and three thousand on others. It all depends! Anyways, here's the newest chapter!

It took almost a half hour of walking to get to Draco's cabin, and as they walked Harry found himself getting lost in the way the other man looked. His hair had grown out since last year, leaving it rather messy and falling just under his ears. There was also something different about the way he walked now, less the cocky saunter that had been so present at Hogwarts and more of a stroll. The dog, Shadow, kept bumping his nose at Harry's heels as he walked, which meant he had to walk sort of bent over so he could pet him and give him the attention he obviously needed. 

Nothing was said on the way to the cabin, although nothing really needed to be said. Harry was too caught up in his own thoughts to make any sort of coherent conversation, and as it had been almost three weeks since he'd talked to another wizard, the silence might have been for the better. It was peaceful, more peaceful than Harry had ever felt in the presence of a Malfoy. 

They walked through trail after winding trail until finally the ground opened into more of a path and Harry could glimpse the top of a roof ahead. It was wide enough here to walk two-aside, so he sped up and settled in next to Draco. The other man gave him a bit of side eye, but Harry simply pretended he was to engrossed in looking at the cabin to notice. 

Draco's abode was bigger than Harry's, and looked like it had at least one more floor. Where Harry's cabin had warm, dark side paneling, Draco had cool toned stone. Harry had huge windows that oversaw the forest, whereas Draco had thinner, arching windows every couple of feet. They were both homey, unmistakably so, but in very distinct and different ways. 

Something about Draco's seemed prettier. 

Shadow bounded ahead, making it to the front door much faster than the walking men and barking excitedly. Draco laughed, and Harry couldn't help but glance over at him, cheeks flushing slightly. The blond genuinely looked happy gazing at his dog, eyes sparkling with mirth. It was a different look on Draco, but one that made that tight feeling in Harry's chest soften. 

The door was unlocked with a muttered "alohomora" from Draco, and Harry grimaced as he realized he'd left his wand at his cabin. It wasn't usually needed for hiking, but right now he felt bare without it. It was a strange feeling, and he hesitated at the doorstep. 

"Come on," Draco said impatiently, looking back at Harry, and the wizard somewhat reluctantly stepped into the house. It was more warmly colored on the inside, the floor a dark brown-red and the furniture mostly different shades of cream. The atmosphere was not altogether unwelcoming, and Harry felt himself relax as Draco led him to the kitchen. 

"I'll make some soup or something," Draco muttered, leaving Harry to perch on a stool and watch him work. Several minutes passed in silence as the wizard conjured up pots and pans, turning on the oven and leaving a broth of chicken, carrots, and peas to boil. "So," he said after a bit, turning back to Harry. "Where are Granger and Weasley? Back at your cottage?"

Harry snorted. "Back at Hogwarts, more like." Draco cast him a curious glance and the dark haired wizard forged on, explaining. "They didn't feel the need to come here. I mean, they just weren't affected by everything like I was. I could barely stand to be around them after it all happened. Ron lost a brother, yeah, but he has his whole family and a girlfriend to lean on. I was... alone." 

Draco rested his arms against the other side of the counter Harry was sitting at and watched him intensely, motioning for him to go on when he paused. "I thought after everything that happened I would want to go back to Hogwarts, to be with my friends and be at the place I called home. But the emptiness of it all was maddening. Every time I walked into the Great Hall all I could see were dead bodies lined up in rows, staring up at me with their accusing eyes. And no one understood. I couldn't talk about Voldemort because no one cared. He was dead to them, but to me..." 

"He had shaped your whole life," Draco said softly. "Ever since you were a kid he was there, a looming presence in the background, and no one really could comprehend how it felt to have him be gone. Empty sounds like you miss him, which is wrong in so many ways, but there was a gap where the Dark Lord used to be." 

Harry nodded fervently, leaning towards Malfoy a bit. "And no one else felt the gap. My life was built around killing him, and I was supposed to stop him before anyone else died, but I didn't. I couldn't stop him from killing them all." Tonks, Remus, Colin, Fred... 

"At least you tried," Malfoy said quietly, and without thinking Harry reached out to take the other man's hand. 

Draco yelped and yanked his hand away as soon as they touched, pulling it to his chest. Harry sat up straight, snapped out of the conversation and somewhat shocked by the other man's reaction. "I'm sorry, I thought--"

"You're absolutely freezing cold," Draco spat, obviously trying to calm himself down. "Go take a warm shower or some shit, I don't want you freezing to death in my kitchen. People will think I murdered you." Harry tried to protest, but Draco said "go!" rather loudly and he thought it best to obey, getting up and speed walking out of the kitchen. 

Of course, Draco hadn't bothered to give him directions, so Harry had to check every door until he found the bathroom. Luckily it was the third room he checked, and Harry let himself in, taking a deep breath as he began to strip off his clothes. 

Draco had changed, that much was clear. Gone was the false bravado and prepubescent immaturity that had seemed to characterize him in Hogwarts. There was still an edge to him, and a snarky one, but it seemed less angsty and more humorous. He actually seemed happy, especially when he was looking at Shadow. Harry never would've expected to actually empathize with the man, but here they were. 

His clothes in a pile on the ground, Harry turned on the shower and stepped inside, hissing as he adjusted to the hot water. There were rows of knobs on the wall, not unlike the ones he'd found in the prefect bathroom at Hogwarts, and he amused himself with turning them on and off as he thought. 

What were these feelings he kept having around Draco? They'd only reunited for an hour or two, but everything about the man was calling to him. He was attractive, no doubt about that, but his personality had improved so much that it was like meeting a new person. 

Still... Harry couldn't quite brush off the memories of Draco at Hogwarts. He'd called Hermione a mudblood, been a death eater, tried to kill Dumbledore. 

How much of that had been familial pressure, and how much had just been him being an immature asshole? 

Harry turned one of the knobs and a thick white foam shot out of the shower head, covering him from head to toe and effectively snapping him out of his internal monologue. He quickly turned the shower back to regular water and focused on warming up, knowing that it probably hadn't been too healthy to sit in his wet pants for ages. Once his teeth had stopped chattering and he had completely stopped shivering Harry turned off the water and got out, standing and dripping on the tile floor. 

Just as he went for a towel, the door flew open.

"Potter, the soup's-aaGH!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, it's really getting steamy here in the Malfoy cabin, and not just because Harry fogged up the whole bathroom with his hot shower... ;) Please leave comments if you liked this chapter or have any constructive criticism, I always want to improve and I really really like feedback! You can contact me at @pluspeggy on Instagram as well! <3


	4. Soup's On

The two men both let out equally surprised and dismayed cries as the door flew open, Malfoy's hands coming up to cover his eyes and Harry desperately lunging for a towel. The blonde almost fell over as he tried to turn around and leave with his eyes still covered, and once Harry was properly covered he just focused on just calming down. Jesus, that had been a surprise. 

"So, um," Draco said in a rather choked voice, still turned around with his eyes covered, "the soup is ready."

"Right," Harry said, breathing heavily. "I'll just--I don't have any clothes," he realized out loud, looking down at his towel-clad body. "Can I borrow something?" 

"Yeah, my bedroom's across the hall, clothes are in the dresser," Draco said quickly, and then finally uncovered his eyes and scrambled away. Harry caught a glimpse of just how red the other man's face was as he turned and found himself blushing as well. 

Well, there was nothing to be done about the horribly embarrassing situation now. All Harry could do was walk across to the Malfoy's bedroom and pick out a set of clothes. There wasn't much that fit him, considering that Draco was quite a bit smaller, but Harry managed to find a pair of sweatpants and a raggedy old t-shirt. He wasn't about to wear Draco's boxers, so he was forced to go commando, which for some reason made the blush on his face deepen that much more. 

Once he had managed to fully collect himself Harry exited the bedroom, cheeks and ears still slightly pink. Draco had set up a bowl of soup for him but was nowhere to be found, so Harry settled down at the kitchen table to wait for him. It was a couple of minutes until the other wizard emerged from the hallway to the left of the kitchen, looking a tad disheveled. "Why aren't you eating?" He asked, looking offended. 

"I was just waiting for you," Harry hurried to explain, not wanting to look ungrateful. Malfoy's cheeks flushed at that (again) and he turned away, grabbing himself a bowl and spooning several ladle-fulls of soup into it. After a moment he sat down in front of Harry, and they both commenced eating. 

Their dinner was mostly silent, only interrupted by Harry thanking Draco for the food. It really was good, full of flavor and just what Harry had wanted. Nothing like a bowl of warm soup to warm you up after you fell into a cold river and almost drowned. 

Once they had finished up Harry gathered the dishes, Draco watching him bemusedly. "What are you planning on doing with those, Potter?" the blonde asked, following him around the counter and up to the kitchen sink curiously. Harry simply rolled his eyes and turned on the faucet, at which Draco blanched and exclaimed "don't you have your wand? It's not just for defeating Dark Lords, you know, you can use it to do the dishes too." 

"Yes, Malfoy," Harry said, mimicking the way Draco called him Potter and looking around for the soap, "I'm not a complete and utter idiot. But I left my wand at home today. Didn't think I'd need it, not with coming out into the woods and expecting to be completely alone and all." The soap ended up being in the counter above the sink and Harry located it, scrubbing at the bowls determinedly. He'd been raised to be neat and clean after himself, especially when a guest at someone else's house. This wasn't just Draco's place either, it was technically the property of Hogwarts. Just one more reason to treat it nicely. 

"How... muggle," Draco mused, then shifted slightly uncomfortably. "Um..." Harry didn't respond, waiting for the other man to say whatever was on the tip of his tongue. "Can we not do that whole thing?" Draco finally asked, saying it all at once and quite obviously nervously. 

"What whole thing?" Harry asked, looking determinedly at the bowl he was currently scrubbing at not at Malfoy. No reason to embarrass the other any more. 

"The... The 'Malfoy' and 'Potter' thing." 

"I'm still not quite sure I understand." 

"You know, when I call you 'Potter' and you call me 'Malfoy' and we both sound like twats," the blonde finally burst out. "I just want to be 'Draco' and 'Harry', alright?" It had obviously taken quite some effort for Draco to lower his boundaries and ask Harry for that, as he was flushed a dark pink and his hands were balled into fists at the side. 

Harry glanced up and nodded simply. "Sounds fine to me, Draco." It didn't take very long to finish washing the dishes, and even less time to put them away, but by the time he had finished Draco seemed to have relaxed once again. Harry quite liked this side of him, the one that didn't act like a complete prat when he was uncomfortable and seemed actually capable of carrying out a civil conversation. It was rather nice, and not at all as awkward as Harry would've expected it to be. 

After Harry had finished he turned and looked at Draco, pausing for a moment, unsure of what to do. Draco just looked back at him for a moment before realizing what was happening and quickly saying "oh," looking around for something to do. 

"I suppose I should go now," Harry said, and didn't miss the look of dismay that flashed across Draco's face for a moment. Truth be told, he didn't really want to leave either. Something about being here, with another person, after weeks of solitude... Well, he hadn't minded the loneliness, but this was certainly a welcome break. He caught a glance of several champagne glasses and added, on a whim, "unless you'd like to have a drink?"

Draco's face lit up, but he turned quickly, nonchalantly agreeing that that might be nice. It turned out that these cabins had a hidden cabinet full of liquor, and the pair picked out a red wine to share. There weren't any wine glasses to be found so they simply used champagne ones, heading to the living room and both pouring themselves a drink. 

At first, conversation was minimal, but as the night went on and the drinks flowed Harry found himself confiding in Draco more and more. As the sun was setting he told Draco the way he had grown up, how the Dursleys had made him live under the stairs and barely fed him, how Dudley had always bullied him, how relieved he was when Hagrid appeared and brought him to Hogwarts for their first year. 

"I wish you had taken me up on that offer to be friends," Draco admitted as the sky grew dark. His cheeks were flushed pink, but Harry wasn't sure if it was from his confession or his third glass of wine. "Maybe I wouldn't have been such a prat. Although, to be honest, I was raised that way, so I probably would've turned out to be a prat no matter what anyone did." 

"Really?" Harry asked curiously, leaning forward in the armchair he was sitting in to be a bit closer to Draco. "Do tell."

The other laughed and waved his hand, leaning forward in his own chair. "My backstory isn't quite as tragic as yours, Harry. I was raised in a dark ass house with a rich ass family. My mom loved me, yeah, but she was always way too busy to really pay attention to me. My dad... Well, he was a piece of work. Step one foot out of line and he'd beat you for hours." Draco caught Harry's concerned glance and quickly added, "it wasn't that bad, really. I managed. Not like being locked under a staircase for half my life." 

Harry leaned forward a tad more, and then the two were almost touching. The chairs hadn't been too far away in the first place, Harry supposed, but it was still a bit of a shock to be looking at Draco so closely. His eyelashes were as pale as his platinum hair, and longer than any girl's Harry had ever seen. His eyes were so big, so beautiful... 

"Draco," Harry murmured, and leaned forward even more, rather drunk and intending to kiss the other. 

Before he could, Malfoy practically leapt away, spilling some of his drink in the process. Harry was left breathless and confused, not sure what he had done to chase off the other. "I'm sorry," he began for the second time that night. 

"Don't," Draco interrupted, just as out of breath as Harry was. "It's just--well, it's getting late. You can't apparate back drunk, so just... Sleep in a guest room." 

With that, Draco fled the living room, leaving Harry throughly and utterly confused.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew, that chapter was a wild ride! So much blushing. As always, comments make me write faster, and kudos are really appreciated :) feel free to get in touch at @pluspeggy on Instagram, and let me know what you think of this work so far! <3


	5. Hangover

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry deals with his rejection.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry that this took so long to update!! I had a bit of writer's block, and I'm on vacation so I didn't have much spare time. Hopefully this chapter will somewhat make up for the delay...?

Harry did sleep at Draco's, but only because he knew that it was utterly dumb to try and apparate back to his own place while pretty much shitfaced. A feeling of humiliation chased him through his dreams and all the way to the next morning, when he woke with a splitting headache at the crack of dawn. Of course, he apparated away immediately, not wanting to have to face Draco. 

Instead of doing anything remotely productive when he got home, Harry tumbled into bed, grabbed his wand from where he'd left it on his bedside table, and mumbled a quick spell to close the curtains. It felt like he was going to throw up. Maybe it was the hangover, but honestly? It was more likely the fact that he had tried to kiss Draco goddamned Malfoy. 

And that Draco had immediately run away. 

The rejection stung, leaving Harry feeling like he'd covered himself in tiny paper cuts and then willingly flung himself into a vat of lemon juice. What the hell had made him think trying to kiss Malfoy was a good idea? There had always been some attraction there for him, ever since Hogwarts, but obviously Malfoy didn't return the sentiment. He couldn't have run away from Harry faster. 

Harry decided to simply ignore the churning feelings inside of him and to take a nap. It was simpler than smashing something or spending the morning crying, neither of which sounded appealing (although the smashing did sound more likely and more satisfying). He pulled the covers over his head, shutting out all the light the curtains couldn't block out, and fell into a restless sleep. 

His dreams were filled with screams and flashes from the Battle of Hogwarts, with oddly intermittent flashes of Ron and Hermione making out in between. It left him tossing and turning, sweat beading on his forehead, and then the dream shifted entirely. 

He was in Malfoy's living room yet again, except now it was light out, and Draco himself was curled up in the biggest armchair, petting Shadow and looking even more miserable than Harry had been that morning. He wasn't doing much, simply petting the dog and holding something, some fabric. The dream solidified slightly and Harry recognized that fabric--it was his shirt, the one he'd been wearing when he fell into the river the day before. 

"God fucking dammit," Malfoy muttered, and Harry woke with a start. 

Well, that last dream had been strange. It felt solid, real... Like when he'd dreamt of Mr. Weasley being attacked by Nagini, or Voldemort torturing Sirius. Except nothing important had happened, and Harry knew for sure that Malfoy didn't have any part of his soul split, and none of it had ended up in Harry. 

Brushing the dream aside, Harry got out of bed, trying to calm his raging emotions. At least his head wasn't hurting as badly, which was a plus. 

Why couldn't Draco have just stayed on his side of the stupid forest? Everything had been so calm and tranquil before Harry saw his stupid blond hair and that cute stupid fluffy dog and fell in that stupid river. 

Perhaps he should find an adjective other than "stupid" to describe things. 

Harry began to make himself some tea, and tried to brush all thoughts of light haired, attractive wizards from his mind. It surely wasn't worth it to be pining away when he was supposed to be healing. Malfoy was probably homophobic or some shit anyways, considering he was extremely prejudiced against muggle born wizards. So it didn't matter. 

Well, it didn't matter until Harry heard a knock at the door. 

He couldn't help himself from rushing to answer it, heart beating a frantic pattern out in his chest. When he flung the door open he saw just what he'd been hoping for--Draco, standing with Shadow by his side, looking vaguely uncomfortable. 

(Well, he hadn't been hoping for Draco to be vaguely uncomfortable, but he would take what he could get.)

"Hi," Harry said dumbly, trying to catch his breath. 

"Hi," Draco replied, just as awkwardly, and there was an awkward beat of silence before he thrust out a clenched fist that was tightly holding a balled up piece of fabric. "You left your shirt at my house, and you're still wearing mine." 

"Oh," Harry said, eyes widening, and glanced down. Sure enough, he was wearing Malfoy's shirt. Great. "Um, if you come in for a second I can change and give it back to you?"

Draco's eyes flickered to either side, and he looked hesitant, but he nodded and stepped over the threshold, Shadow following close behind. Harry couldn't help but reach down to pet the dog, his heart in his throat as he watched the blond wizard take in the decor of his house. 

"Um, it's quite... homey," Draco said after a second, turning around and giving Harry a bit of a weird look. "Are you gonna change..?" 

"Yeah," Harry said quickly, "of course. I'll just run upstairs, give me a second--" But Draco was shaking his head, cheeks bright pink. 

"Just, um, Ifyoudoithereitllbequicker," he said all in a rush, face positively red. Harry had to ask him to repeat himself, and he cleared his throat, slowly saying "it's just that if you change here it'll be quicker, and I can, you know, leave?" 

Harry raised an eyebrow but shrugged, complying with Malfoy's near-demand. It didn't take long to strip off Draco's shirt, and he held his hand out to get his own shirt back from the other man, but Draco took a step back.

"About last night," he started hesitantly, and Harry didn't miss the way his eyes flickered to Harry's abs as he spoke. "I didn't mean to be so blunt. I just got nervous, because you were really drunk, and I didn't know if you were just trying to mess with me or something."

"Why would I mess with you?" Harry asked, taken aback by the change in subject but rolling with it. He took a step towards Draco, who didn't back away for once. 

"Because we hated each other at Hogwarts," Draco stuttered, letting Harry come closer with each step. "And you're Harry Potter, the Chosen One, and you could have any girl you wanted, and I just couldn't understand why you would want to kiss me in the middle of the night in my living room?"

Harry couldn't help but laugh, now close enough to Draco that he could reach out and touch his hair if he wanted. "If you haven't noticed, Draco, I'm into guys too. And a lot has changed since we hated each other. As for why I would want to kiss you..." He reached out and gently ran a finger down the side of the other man's face, earning him a shiver. Confidence was filling Harry that he hadn't ever felt with a girl. "Didn't you feel a connection last night? You're maybe the only person alive that knows how I feel, truly. You were put into a role you never wanted to play, you had to deal with an abusive family growing up, Voldemort was a huge influence in your life." 

"Let's not talk about him," Draco mumbled, and Harry laughed again, looking into Draco's bright green eyes. 

"Alright. The point is, I like you, a lot more than I did back then. But you seemed so taken aback by the whole situation, I thought you were disgusted by me."

"No," Draco said quietly, glancing down. "I was scared of what I'm feeling, and who I'm feeling it for. We could never work, our history, our parents, the way everyone would look at us. And yet I could never help but be insanely attracted to you." 

The wording there made Harry pause--how long had Draco had feelings for him?--but he decided to focus on that at a later date. "You don't have to be scared of your feelings," he said, and then there was another, quieter pause, when both of them just looked at each other, cheeks flushed and hearts racing. 

"I can kiss you now, if you want," Harry offered quietly. 

Draco's eyes flashed upwards, and his hands came to Harry's collar, pulling the other down towards his lips with a quickly uttered "yes".

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ;)   
> I hope you guys all liked this chapter! I have quite a few twists and turns planned for the fanfic, but be warned that there will most likely be smut in this next chapter. Please leave comments, either about if you liked or hated it or if you have somewhere you want this fanfiction to go(they make me write faster!) and kudos. You can also always get in touch at @pluspeggy on Instagram. Until next chapter (which hopefully won't take a million years).


	6. Tea Party

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Quick note before I post this chapter: I got a really nasty comment about this fic last night, and I'd just like to say that while I do like comments, I don't like being told that I can't write at all or that my fanfiction makes no sense. If you don't have anything nice to say, don't bother saying it, because it'll just be deleted. Anywhas, I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Their first kiss was like none Harry had ever had before. 

It was slow at first, gentle, cautious. Draco had pulled Harry down so quickly that their mouths collided clumsily, but after a second they managed to rearrange themselves into a less awkward position. Harry had begun cautiously, not wanting to overwhelm Draco, but then the other had brought a hand up to Harry's dark hair and tangled his fingers in it, and the kiss had escalated rather quickly. A desperate sound slipped out of Harry, from somewhere deep in his chest, and he sucked Draco's bottom lip into his mouth, gently raking his teeth over it. 

The blond made a surprised sound and pulled away for a second, trying to catch his breath. Harry went to move away, but Draco's hand in his hair kept him standing just there, and as soon as he'd caught his breath the two were kissing again. 

Neither of them knew how long they stood there in the hallway, Harry still shirtless, just enjoying the feel of the other's mouth on their own. It was blissful, and relaxing, and so much of the tension that had been stuck in the pair since last night seemed to melt away. 

Eventually, though, they had to stop, considering they were breathing quite heavily and Shadow was nudging at Draco's feet, whining pitifully. The blond laughed and looked down, shrugging and simply explaining "he probably just needs to go out."

Harry hummed contentedly, not quite ready to let Draco out of his arms. "Promise you'll actually come back once you bring him out?" he joked, reaching down with one hand to ruffle the dog's fluffy fur. 

"You're the jerk who left before I even woke up this morning," Draco said pointedly, and Harry's jaw dropped. He hadn't even seen it like that, but yeah, he had kind of run away. "It's fine, it's fine," Draco assured, laughing at the shell-shocked expression on Harry's face. "But before we--do anything else or something--we're going to actually have to have a conversation. About what I am to you and what you are to me." 

Harry sighed and finally released Draco, stepping away. "I guess you're right. This afternoon, maybe?" Immediately after he'd suggested that, Harry's eyes widened and he spat out a panicked "fuck!" 

"What's wrong?" Draco asked, taking a concerned step back. 

"No, it's not you," Harry said absentmindedly, turning and running a worried hand through his hair. "I completely forgot, Ron and Hermione are supposed to come visit this afternoon for tea, we haven't seen each other in weeks. Can we talk tomorrow or something? Maybe tonight?" 

They agreed to meet the next day for lunch and Draco left, both of the wizards still wearing a slight blush on their cheeks. 

Of course, Harry couldn't bask in his post-makeout glow for forever. There was quite a lot of cleaning to be done, and no time to think about how completely astonishing and surprising it was that he'd actually just made out with Draco Fucking Malfoy. He just barely had time to make the place look acceptable, much less sit down and freak out over what the fuck was even happening in his life. 

It was quite lucky that Harry managed to get the place shipshop in time (and put on a shirt), especially considering there weren't any clocks in the cabin and he basically had to eyeball the sun in the sky. But when he heard the crack of side-along apparition at his doorstep, and then a knock, everything was actually ready. 

He strode to the door quickly and flung it open, enveloped by Ron Weasley's long arms almost immediately. "Harry!" the Weasley said, pulling away, a grin stretching across his freckled face. "Merlin, I've missed you. Hogwarts just isn't the same without your constant angst and knack for stirring up trouble." 

Harry laughed and clapped his best friend on the shoulder when a quieter voice said "hi, Harry," rather timidly. The dark haired wizard turned to Hermione Granger and his expression became a lot more serious.

"Hermione, I am so sorry," he began, feeling utterly horrible about the fact that the last time they'd talked he'd thrown a glass at her, but before he could finish she had practically launched herself at him and he found himself with a face full of fluffy brown hair. 

"Don't be silly," she admonished, and Harry couldn't help but smile. "It's forgiven and forgotten. Now, are you going to invite us in already?" 

Harry led the pair into his living room and they sat down on one side of the coffee table, sharing the couch. The table was spread with teas and biscuits, and Harry took the seat across from the two, watching as Ron casually draped his arm around Hermione's shoulders. 

"So what's new with you?" the witch asked, leaning slightly forwards and scanning Harry with her keen eyes. "Is this place treating you alright? The house is really nice, by the way."

"Thanks," Harry smiled, looking down. "I really like it here, actually. I haven't ever had a place that was just my own, where I could choose who comes and goes and what I do. I think it's given me an aspect of control that's helped with the whole anger thing."

"Yeah," Ron laughed, "but do you ever have anyone over? Except us, I mean. It's not like you have to control a large flow of traffic." 

Harry paused, not sure if he wanted to bring this up this early in the conversation, but decided that it had to be done eventually. "Actually, Draco Malfoy was over just this morning."

"Malfoy?" Hermione and Ron exclaimed at the same time, their faces sporting identical expressions of shock. 

"You mean 'tried to kill us all' Malfoy?" Ron said, face twisting into a disgusted grimace. "Death eater Malfoy? Pretentious prick Malfoy?" 

"No, he's changed," Harry argued defensively, feeling rather annoyed by his friend's knee-jerk reaction. "We met in the woods, he's here too to try and recuperate, and we got to talking. He saved my life, I fell in a river and he had his dog save me." 

"What a hero," Ron commented sarcastically, and Hermione swatted him on the arm. 

"I think what Ron is trying to say, Harry," she said softly, eyes open and honest, "is how much could Malfoy really have changed? He's always been the same old bully, trying to annoy us. He's been like that for years. He tried to kill Dumbledore." 

Harry's eyes flashed, and his mouth set into a rather pissed-off frown. "We've all changed," he exclaimed, clenching a fist under the table. "God knows you two have changed--a couple now, are you? Perfect best friends? Have you forgotten that for years you were always at each other's throats? However could that have changed, when obviously people are born with one personality at birth?" Ron opened his mouth to say something but Harry glared at him and continued, boldly exclaiming "and I kissed him today. Draco. There's something there, and God knows I was stupid enough to think you two would support me." 

Hermione tried to say something but Ron shook his head, glaring daggers at Harry. "If you want to shack up with a Death Eater, be my guest. But don't expect to come to the Burrow for holidays, or for anything. Or have you forgotten my brother was killed by one of Malfoy's kind?" 

The entire room went silent, Harry feeling like he'd just been punched in the gut.

"You should go," he finally said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading, as always comments and kudos are greatly appreciates! (Nice comments in general basically make my day). If you want to talk, about this fic or anything, feel free to message me at @pluspeggy on Instagram! A quick note about smut: I've tweaked the plans for this fic, so it won't be appearing until a bit later. Sorry, but I promise the wait is worth it!


	7. A Nightmare

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter came out of nowhere. I'd been planning to have Harry and Draco go on a picnic and talk about their feelings, but this happened instead?? I hope you guys like it, as it's one of the fluffiest chapters (in my opinion) so far.

Harry spent the rest of the afternoon pacing his cabin, fists clenched and an ever-present frown on his face. How could Ron say that shit about Draco? He barely even knew him, and he hadn't talked to him since the Battle. And then to insinuate that Draco was somehow responsible for or involved in Fred's death? Didn't Ron know Harry already felt horrible enough about that? 

The entire situation was utterly ridiculous and frustrating. Maybe Harry should've let Ron stay to talk it over, but he had been one more mean comment away from chucking another glass across the room. Ron and Hermione just didn't understand, and it made him want to scream and punch something. 

But the calm and quiet of the cabin calmed Harry down eventually. It was hard to stay mad at people that weren't there, and the anger slowly ebbed away. 

It was replaced by doubt. 

Was Ron right? Maybe him and Draco could never work. After all, they'd grown up hating each other. Draco had always teased Harry and annoyed him, and Harry had gone out of his way to blame every bad thing happening at Hogwarts on the blond. Plus, all of their friends would end up hating them and being disgusted by them. A sharp pang of hurt went through Harry's chest as he imagined Mrs. Weasley's disappointed face if he ever brought Draco to the burrow. 

But did that all matter? The way Draco had made him feel the past couple days seemed worth the sacrifices he might have to make. He felt understood, which was monumental. The only other person who had really understood him was Sirius, and he was gone, like so many others. Remus had been there for him too, but he was also gone. Now he had found someone else who made the raging tide of sorrow and rage inside of him fall away. 

Harry decided to sleep on it. He was going to meet up with Draco anyways, the next day, so it wasn't worth it to agonize over his feelings now. They could just see how that went and then decide if they wanted to be together. The sun set, and before Harry knew it he was fast asleep. 

The nightmares came quickly. 

Harry was walking along the side of the lake at Hogwarts, hands tucked in his pockets as he stared at the gray sky. Something splashed in the water and he froze, knowing that it wouldn't be in his best interests to look at it. Still, his body didn't obey his mind and he walked to the edge of the water, peering in. 

Horror washed over Harry as he saw the lake was filled with bodies, glassy eyes all looking at him. He stared down at Tonks, Remus, Fred, and Colin, trying not to throw up. A hand clawed its way out of the murky water and grabbed Harry's ankle, trying to pull him in. He shouted in fear and turned, trying to run away. 

Draco stood there, watching him, and relief filled Harry, until he realized the blond was laughing. He screamed as he was pulled into the lake, begging Draco to help him, and then he was in the lake and hands were pulling him down and water was filling his lungs and--

He woke up screaming, cold sweat coating his skin. 

Harry struggled for breath, and once he'd calmed down he couldn't help but sob brokenly. He hadn't had a nightmare that intense since he'd left Hogwarts. 

Almost without knowing what he was doing Harry got up and got dressed, throwing on his most comfortable sweater and jeans. It was pitch black outside, still in the midst of night, but he picked up his wand and whispered a quiet "lumos", then wandered outside and into the dark. 

He'd thought he would just wander aimlessly, but apparently his feet had a mind of their own, because they led him through the woods, through the river, and to Draco's doorstep. He couldn't help but knock, feeling utterly foolish but still completely shaken. The only comfort he could take after the especially bad nightmares was the company of another human being, the assurance that he wasn't alone. 

Surprisingly, the door swung open almost immediately. Draco didn't look like he'd slept at all, and raised an eyebrow as he looked Harry up and down. The wizard knew he must look a mess, with his mussed up hair and eye bags and pants went from wading through the river, but just wearily said "hi". 

"Hello," Draco said, and then stepped aside and let Harry in the door. "You couldn't sleep either, I suppose?" 

A feeling of warmth spread through Harry's chest and he nodded, glad that the other wizard understood what was happening with him. "Sometimes it's worse to be alone," he shrugged. "Do you have any more of that wine from last night?" 

"There are better things to do in the middle of the night than getting drunk, Potter," Draco said, but his voice was mildly teasing instead of scathing. "How about some tea instead?" 

Harry internally sighed but nodded, knowing that perhaps wine wasn't what he needed right now. Draco led him to the living room and carefully sat him down on the couch, handing him a wool blanket. "Chamomile or lemon?" 

"Lemon, Chamomile is only for those with no taste." It was a weak joke, and Harry knew it, but Draco laughed anyways. It made him feel that much better, and he smiled, leaning back into the couch. This situation was less than normal, but Draco was treating it as if it was entirely reasonable for Harry to show up in the middle of the night because he'd had a bad dream. 

The tea was ready fairly quickly and the pair drank in companionable silence, sitting next to each other on the couch. Harry used the time to collect himself, trying to calm down, but still couldn't quite catch his breath. The emotions from the dream were still running him ragged, the guilt, the fear. 

The wizard flinched in surprise when he felt an arm around his shoulders, then looked up at Draco, who rolled his eyes. "Come on now, just put down your tea and come here. My mother always used to hold me when I had a bad night. She said that the only thing that can cure an overactive imagination is the warmth of another person." Harry honestly couldn't picture Narcissa saying that to anyone, but Draco's warmth really was appealing. 

After a moment he leaned in, letting Draco pull him to his chest and wrap his arms around him. It felt safe, and comforting, and Harry's eyes fell closed rather quickly, drowsiness washing over him. 

As he lay there, in Draco's arms, the doubt and anger he'd been feeling earlier seemed to dissipate. Ron just didn't understand, but Harry could talk to him about it. It was more of an issue of him not knowing Draco than Draco being a bad person. 

And the way Draco had handled his midnight crisis completely threw away the doubt he'd been feeling. He wasn't going to let himself run away from a person that made him feel this good just because others might not approve. 

"Thank you," Harry mumbled after a few moments, trying not to start crying again. He wasn't going to be weaker than he'd already shown himself to be. "I--" 

"You're welcome," Draco interrupted softly, and then he did something utterly surprising: he bent down and lightly kissed the top of Harry's head. 

A breath he didn't even know he'd been holding left Harry in a long sign and he cuddled into Draco, letting the tiredness he'd been feeling pull him into sleep. Here he could relax, on the couch, with Draco. Here everything was fine. 

There were no more nightmares that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a comment (or kudos) if you liked this chapter! I feel like it's one of the best so far, though I could be completely wrong. Writing is an adventure for me, and I've been pouring a lot of emotion into this story, but especially this chapter. Thank you for reading, and you can always contact me at @pluspeggy on Instagram for one on one conversations!


	8. Butterfly Kisses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More tooth-rotting fluff.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Just so you know, tomorrow night and possibly the night after there won't be a chapter update, as I'm taking the SAT on Tuesday. This chapter is also a bit shorter than usual, but really fluffy, so hopefully that makes up for it! There's also a bit of shirtless action in here, so if that makes you uncomfy you can skip it ;)

Harry woke up with a rather uncomfortable weight on his legs, and the pleasant feeling of his hair being played with. He yawned and opened his eyes laboriously, squinting at the light that immediately assaulted them. There was a brief moment of confusion where he forgot where he was and why he was there, but then the events of last night came back to him. 

The nightmare. Waking up in a cold sweat. Getting dressed, and stumbling through the woods for what must've been at least a half hour, if not more. Knocking on Draco's door. Drinking tea. Falling asleep on Draco. 

Oh, shit. He'd totally trapped Draco on the couch with him, hadn't he? 

Harry shifted and opened his eyes all the way, craning his neck to the side and trying to see exactly what was going on. The first thing he saw was Shadow, completely sprawled out across his legs and fast asleep, his big fluffy head plopped down on Harry's hip. So that was what the uncomfortable weight down there was. 

"He usually sleeps with me," an unconcerned voice said from above, "and considering you fell asleep on me and I couldn't go back to my room I felt it was fair to let him sleep on you."

Harry propped himself up on one elbow and shifted, managing to get himself into a position where he could see Draco. The wizard was leaning back against the couch, one hand in Harry's hair and the other holding a book, which he was reading as he spoke. 

"Did you..." Harry cleared his throat and tried again, blearily blinking up at Draco, "did you sit there all night? That couldn't have been comfortable, don't your legs hurt? And how did you fall asleep?" 

"Oh, my legs have been asleep since thirty minutes after you started dozing off," Draco shrugged. "And I don't sleep much, really. Not unless I have a potion to chase away dreams, which I've just run out of. Although I do take a fair amount of naps." 

Harry hummed and nodded, still very much waking up. Draco chuckled at something lost to the other wizard and brushed his bangs away from his forehead, gently patting the top of his head. "Come on now, I'll get Shadow off of you and we can have breakfast. Then maybe you can tell me exactly how you got yourself here in such a state last night." 

That seemed reasonable, so Harry nodded again and let Draco shoo his dog off of his legs. Shadow was much more of a morning 'person' than Harry was, and sprung off of him, then started jumping around the living room and barking excitedly. This made Draco laugh again, and Harry got up and stretched as the blond took Shadow out, attempting to work out the cricks that came from sleeping on another person's lap. His neck was killing him. 

By the time Draco came back, Harry had already begun to prepare breakfast. To be fair, he'd only poured them orange juice, but that was a start. "Want bagels?" he asked the other, interrupting himself with a long yawn. The blond clearly had to work to stifle a smile, but simply nodded. 

Breakfast was a quiet, simple affair. Harry opened the cabinet next to the fridge and was pleasantly surprised to actually find bagels (the houses both provided all the food the boys needed, but weren't always so accommodating as to make the food they both wanted). They both ate on the couch, arms close but not quite touching, and when they were done Harry washed their dishes, which Draco tolerated with very little teasing.

"So, why exactly did you decide to show up?" Draco asked after everything was cleaned up, leaning back against the marble kitchen counter. "Just bad dreams?"

"Ah... I had a bad fight with Ron and Hermione yesterday, and I think it just threw my whole day off," Harry shrugged. "And then yeah. I had a nightmare, and when I woke I just kind of made my way to your house. I'm not really sure how I remembered the way or why I didn't just apparate, but in my own defense, it must've been at least two am." 

"What was the fight about?" 

Harry sighed and moved closer to Draco, leaning forward and putting a hand on the marble to either side of him so he was effectively trapped between his arms. "Does it matter? I don't really want to talk about it right now. Aren't there better things we could be doing?" He waggled his eyebrows as suggestively as he could, grinning sheepishly as he did so. 

Draco raised an eyebrow but obliged Harry's barely veiled flirting, leaning forward and pressing his lips lightly against the other wizard's. The kiss escalated quickly, with Harry tangling a hand into Draco's perfect blond hair and pushing him up and against the cabinets. 

"Should we perhaps move this to the bedroom?" Draco asked after a moment, breaking away and breathing rather heavily. Harry saw no issue with that, so he picked the other up bridal style and brought them both back to the bedroom he'd visited once before. 

When they got there Harry deposited Draco onto the bed and kneeled over him, leaning down once more to claim his lips in a hungry kiss. The two made out for a bit like teenagers, complete with matching blushes, and then Harry moved a hand to the top button of Draco's nightshirt. 

"May I?" he asked quietly, looking down into the blond's bright eyes to make sure this was alright. Draco hesitated but nodded, which took quite a lot of trust: trust that Harry wouldn't be disgusted or hurt by what he found. 

Harry was enthusiastic about undressing Draco but careful, studiously undoing each button and then helping the other to slip his arms out of the shirt. He even folded it before turning to get a better look at Draco, setting it on the nightstand. 

When he did look his chest tightened, and he immediately felt horrible. 

There were crisscrossing scars littering Draco's chest, and Harry knew that his sectumsempra spell had put them there. "Draco, I'm so s--" he began to say, but the other rolled his eyes and pulled him into another kiss. It was obviously something he didn't want to talk about, but Harry still felt horrible, so when the kiss ended he didn't something Draco hadn't expected. 

He slid down the bed a bit so his face was even with Draco's chest and placed a light kiss on the top of one of his scars. 

Draco's eyebrows shot up to the top of his forehead, but he seemed to relax as Harry kissed up and down his scars, leaving little hickeys here and there across the pale chest. It was a slow process, as Harry was painstakingly taking his time to kiss every single scar that he had put on Draco. Eventually the blond was laying lax on the bed, putty in Harry's ever-so-capable-hands (or lips). 

The dark haired wizard finished with a flourish, licking down towards Draco's stomach, and then sat back up. He found Draco with his eyes closed, so calm and pleased that he was practically asleep. Harry chuckled to himself and lay down next to the blond, gathering him in his arms and allowing him his beauty rest. There would be time for more kissing later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHHH I love these two. I also really like it when I get comments and kudos (this fic reached 100 kudos recently which made me squeal out loud). Thank you so much for reading, guys! I have a couple ideas on where this fic should turn, but know that at some point in the next five or so chapters Harry and Draco will probably leave their cabins and go back to Hogwarts (dun-dun-dun). Hopefully yall liked this chapter, and I'll see you guys after the SAT!


	9. Swimming Lessons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The morning after the morning after.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well... I'm back? Sorry for taking forever to get this chapter out, I honestly had no idea how to get my ideas onto paper and had no time this past month. However, it's here now, and I hope you enjoy!

Harry woke up bit by bit, not exactly comprehending where he was. The bed was so soft, so nice to just lay in. Of course, the weight in his arms began to wriggle, and then he remembered that he was currently in Draco Malfoy's bed, holding Draco Malfoy in his arms. 

Damn. This wasn't a situation he'd ever seen himself waking up in. 

Light filtered in through the windows, dancing across the sharp angles of Malfoy's jaw and caressing the curve of his neck. Something in Harry's chest seized up at the image: it was so soft, so quiet and peaceful. It was nothing that he had ever thought he'd be able to experience. Especially not here, not with Draco. 

Love had once seemed so far away, like a star, unreachable. Ginny and Cho were nice, but it had been a struggle just to get their attention, and once he did...

Well, Cho had never been able to stop crying, and now Ginny was dating Luna. So. 

But here, with Draco, love seemed almost tangible. It hung heavy in the air around them, practically daring Harry to reach out and grab it. He knew he could, if he wanted, but he also knew that love wasn't meant to be rushed. Especially this. They weren't in love yet, but they could be. They would be, if Harry had any say in it. 

Overcome by his inner realization, Harry leaned down and gently kissed Draco, barely more than a brush against his lips. The other stirred underneath him once again, mumbling something not quite tangible. Another brush of the lips and Draco was yawning into Harry's mouth, making the other chuckle and pull away. "Gross," he murmured fondly, unable to take his eyes off of Draco's sparkling ones as they blinked open. 

"If you think I'm so gross, you're perfectly welcome to leave," Draco announced haughtily, although as he said so he curled into the dark-haired wizard and nuzzled into his neck, so the statement didn't hold much weight. Harry simply laughed again, running his fingers through Draco's platinum hair and down to the nape of his neck. "That tickles," the other complained, but did absolutely nothing to stop Harry. 

Sleepy Draco seemed to be very cuddly, pulling Harry closer and whining in compliant every time he tried to get up. Eventually they both grew hungry, and Harry managed to coax the other out of bed with the promise of fresh, greasy bacon. Draco sighed but surrendered, standing up and rearranging his hair in a way that made Harry's heart flip-flop in his chest. Damn. 

"Take a picture, it'll last longer," the blonde smirked, and Harry rushed out of the bedroom, cheeks turning pink. Shadow accosted them as soon as they stepped into the hallway, whining and jumping around to be let out again. Draco rolled his eyes but let him out, and Harry made bacon. It was their second breakfast, just as this was the second time they'd both woken up that morning. 

"I wish all mornings could be like this," Draco mumbled around a mouthful of bacon, and Harry's neck almost hurt with how quickly he turned to look at the other. That was such a vulnerable statement, so... Un-Malfoy. 

"They can be," he replied carefully, trying not to break the dreamlike quality of the morning. 

Draco's lips formed a tight line and he shook his head, eyes hardening. "No. They can't."

The words were like a punch in the gut, but Harry turned away. It wasn't worth it to argue the point right now. And so what if Draco didn't return his feelings? He was moving much too fast anyways. There was no way that they could be in love already. 

It was ridiculous to think that. 

But he couldn't seem to stop himself. 

Draco read the way he reacted too easily, as he always seemed to do, and sighed. "Hey. It's not your fault, Harry. Just... Let's do something fun today, alright? We can go swimming? I'll teach you, it's not that hard, and maybe if you know how you won't have to be saved by handsome strangers with dogs anymore."

Harry hated himself for being so easily swayed, but the idea did sound fun, so he threw a quick smile over his shoulder at Draco and nodded. Maybe it wasn't that big of a deal. Surely the way the blond's eyes had narrowed and the way his voice had sharpened didn't really mean anything. Who cared, anyways?

After they finished the bacon, they walked to the river where they'd first been reunited. Draco seemed to be relaxing around Harry, as he began to talk. 

And talk. 

And talk. 

Apparently when Draco wanted to he could blabber on for literally hours. There was no shortage of things to talk about: the way the flowers were growing now, how he thought Harry would look nice with a beard, his favorite type of bird that they saw flying overhead, all the things that he missed now that he was living alone (mainly his servants and the ability to complain to people, although apparently Shadow was a good listener). The other wizard literally couldn't get a word in edgewise. 

But it wasn't that bad. Harry found himself actually listening to what Draco was saying, nodding along to his stories and laughing at his jokes. He was surprised at some of the little things pointed out to him ("Look! That little rock is shaped just like the astrology tower at Hogwarts. I always think about it when I walk by here,") and the way that Draco seemed to think about nature in general ("I think those two birds are in love. Don't they just seem like they're in love?").

There was only one thing that Draco wouldn't talk about, and it was rather surprising, as it used to be what he'd talk about all the time. 

His father. 

Harry knew that Lucius Malfoy was in Azkaban. Hell, he'd testified at the man's trial. He'd testified for Draco too, but in Draco's case he hadn't wanted him to go to the dementors. He could still picture how scared the boy had been that day, how skinny and pale he'd looked surrounded by guards, so out of place. Harry couldn't help but feel bad for him. 

The other Malfoy he hadn't felt anything for. That bastard deserved every single year of the life sentence he'd received. 

But Harry hadn't expected the prison sentence to affect Draco like this. Sometimes he tripped over his words, starting out with "my f-" and then scrambling to recover with "a book I read once says" or "Professor Flitwick always thought" to cover up what he was going to say. 

It was curious. Why wouldn't Draco just mention Lucius? Was he afraid? 

Shadow padded alongside them as they strolled through the forest, sniffing at various plants and panting happily. When they reached the river, the dog threw himself in, splashing Draco and making the wizard laugh. 

It was so different, Draco like this. Harry found himself loving the easy smiles and constant chatter. It didn't annoy him at all, in fact, he was hanging on to every word the blond spoke. It all revealed a little bit more of the man, and Harry wanted to know everything. He wanted to know Draco's thoughts, his feelings, what made the other tick. 

And of course, he was focusing on that when the asshole pushed him into the river. 

Harry landed on his butt, spluttering, water pooling around his waist. It wasn't very deep here, only a few inches, and Draco laughed as he stripped off his shirt. "Oh, you're laughing now," Harry called out, but couldn't help but grin himself. "Just wait until I get you in here."

They spent the afternoon in the water, Draco leading Harry into the deeper bits carefully. There was a fair amount of splashing, and a lot of nonsense that resulted in wet hair and a pouting Malfoy. Shadow seemed to enjoy it too, what with all the swimming around he did. Still, it was fun, and educational. Harry managed to learn the basics of dog-paddling, and was taught how to float on his back. It would probably save him if he was ever stranded in the ocean. 

("But Draco, why wouldn't I just apparate out of the water?"

"Maybe you're unconscious, idiot."

"Well if I'm unconscious I can't swim. Or even float."

"Alright, fine, maybe you're too drunk to apparate."

"Why would I be drunk?"

"Listen, you didn't think of just apparating out of the river when you fell in, did you?"

Harry had no good answer for that one.)

After a few hours they emerged from the river and collapsed onto the bank, both breathing heavily, wearing matching grins. "I'm exhausted," Draco panted, and let out a squeak when Harry rolled over to capture his lips in a burning kiss. 

"I'm in this for the long run, Draco Malfoy," the dark haired man said, and the seriousness of his tone left no room for doubt. Draco softened under his gaze and kissed him once, twice, each time gentle and soft. 

"I know," he murmured, and there were too many emotions trapped in those two simple words for Harry to comprehend. 

He flopped back onto the grass and sighed contentedly, looking up at the sky. This was so beautiful. 

Who cared what Draco thought? Fuck it, every day could always be like this. 

A bark rang out behind them, and Harry was suddenly proved completely wrong, as he twisted around to see something--well, something he'd never thought he'd see. 

Shadow was beginning to transform.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooo, cliffhanger! Kudos and comments honestly do make me write faster, so if you want more you should leave those ;) seriously though, leave thoughts on the story so far! I love reading them! Also, thank you to everyone who wished me luck on the SAT--I did pretty good! Quick update: @pluspeggy on Instagram no longer exists, so it's a lot harder to get in touch one on one now. If you really want to, you can comment below and we'lol figure something out. Thanks!


	10. Narcissa

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The mystery is revealed.

Harry's eyes were wide as saucers as the dog twisted on the ground, its form morphing into something taller, shapely...

Something unmistakably human. 

Draco had noticed too, of course, and had immediately said "no," his voice breaking. Harry turned to him, flabbergasted, only to see the blond already looking back at him. There was something in his eyes that screamed of fear, though the source wasn't obvious. What--or who--was Shadow?

When Harry looked back, he had his answer. 

Narcissa Malfoy was stunning, her silver hair cascading down her back. She was clad in nothing but a robe light as gossamer, and her eyes bore into Harry's even as she straightened up, one hand pushing off of the mossy ground. He knew his mouth was gaping open, but he couldn't find the will to close it. What the hell was going on?

"You're in this for the long run?" the woman said, her voice ringing out, both amused and stern. "If that is true, Potter, I think I should take some of my son's burden off of his shoulders."

There was a pause, and Harry managed to splutter out "I don't understand," his head still swirling with the sheer surprise of this revelation. 

"I've been lying to you," Draco said, his voice tight, and Harry was shocked to see tears glimmering in the man's fiercely set eyes. "I haven't changed at all, you see. Still a stinking, lying, dea-"

"That is quite enough," Narcissa snapped, and Draco sullenly shut up, looking down at the ground. "My son has been protecting me, Mister Potter, even at the risk of his own feelings. Feelings for you."

Harry felt dumb as he stood mute, looking between Narcissa and Draco stupidly. "But... Shadow was a boy," he said lamely, unable to think of anything else, and the woman burst into a peal of laughter, throwing her head back. 

"Yes, well, I suppose we're all lucky you didn't decide to check on that matter," she said, a rather mischievous glint in her eye. Harry couldn't help but laugh too, and send another glance at Draco, who hadn't unclenched his fists and was still staring resolutely at the ground. "But, although that comment was amusing, I suppose what you're really wondering is why. Why would I pretend to be my son's dog, to the point of sleeping with you two on the couch, eating dog food...?"

Harry nodded, feeling rather foolish for not asking that first. 

"Well, it's rather because of you," Narcissa said honestly, and Draco let out a little choking noise that had Harry reaching out and grasping his hand. He thought the gesture would be refused, but the blond surprisingly clung to him like a lifeline, his grip almost painful. 

"You see," Narcissa continued, her sharp eyes not missing their hand-holding, "you gave a particularly damning testimony on my husband's behalf. Of course, I will forever be grateful that you saved Draco from Azkaban--for we both know it was only your testimony that pulled him from the dementor's grips--but it put me in a perilous position. It was only a matter of time before I was called to trial as well."

"But you didn't--you were nothing like Lucius!" Harry burst out, unable to help himself. "You saved my life! I would've testified for you as well, I swear."

Narcissa smiled and stepped closer, still holding her robe tightly around herself. "Thank you, Mister Potter. But even your word only holds so much weight, and I don't think you could've saved more than one member of the Malfoy family. Besides, I would've been a good example to other pureblood women. A message not to marry into death eater families. So I went to Minerva McGonagall."

Professor McGonagall? She was one of the only people Harry really trusted, really, really trusted. So much so that she was the only one he'd told exactly what happened the night of the battle. It was lucky for Albus Dumbledore that he had passed by then, because her fury at hearing Harry had been "raised to die" was unparalleled. "She's a great woman," he said, hand still tightly gripping Draco's. 

"Yes. And, not surprisingly, she knew how I had saved your life. So when I asked her to help me become an animagus, she agreed. Minerva seemed to think that as I had saved you, she needed to save me. I wouldn't be here now if not for her and her amazing generosity. We didn't know how long I had until the dementors would arrive at our doorstep, so we had to work as fast as we could. Within a month I had made my first transformation."

"Mother is an amazing witch," Draco said quietly, glancing up, and Narcissa smiled gently at him. "That speed is unheard of."

"Thank you, my love. We discovered my animagus form was a white dog. If you were wondering, when in that form, canine instincts do not seem disgusting to me. I suppose if I wished I could spend my life as Shadow. And that is what Minerva and I decided must happen, even if only for a small amount of time. Enough time that all the madness in the wizarding world will have died down. So she sent me here, and after some time Draco as well. I spend most of my time as Shadow, so if a stranger were to happen upon us, as you did, there would be no suspicion of Draco's intent." 

Harry nodded slowly, casting his mind back to the few days he had spent with Draco. "So you've saved my life twice now," he realized, thinking back to the river. "I guess I'll always be in your debt, Ma'am. Thank you. But I have to ask... Why not reveal yourself to me earlier?"

"Draco," Narcissa said simply. "My son wasn't sure of your intentions at first, and once he realized you may share his long-suffering feelings, he begged me not to reveal myself. He seemed to think you would hate him for the deception."

Silence settled over the grove as Harry realized what that fear in Draco's eyes had been earlier. Fear that Harry was going to leave him, end this, and most likely despise him for the rest of his life. 

How impossible. 

"Draco," Harry said sharply, and the blond turned to him, his chin turned up defiantly. 

"What, Potter? I'll have you know I'd do it all again, and I don't have any sort of remorse about the situation. You can leave right now if you wish, go back to your damned cabin and just--just forget this all happened. I don't need you, I don't need your stupid eyes and your stupid hair. It doesn't even lie flat, you always look like you just woke up. And you're practically blind, so."

Harry couldn't help but carefully reach out and wipe away the tears from Draco's cheeks, and the blond started, unaware that he had been crying in the first place. 

"You dolt," Harry said fondly, and the look in the other's eyes made him laugh quietly. "I'm not leaving, Draco."

"You're not?" the man said quietly, and Harry shook his head, smiling. 

"Well, that's fine then," he said after a second, looking away, a grin spreading across his face that Harry could see no matter how hard he tried to hide it. "Are you angry?"

"No," Harry said patiently, and then couldn't take it anymore and gathered Draco up into a tight hug. 

"I couldn't be mad at you for protecting your family," Harry murmured. "I would've done the same in your shoes. I'm a bit put out that you mistrust me so, but I guess I have to work off of years of you hating me."

Something else Narcissa had said rang a bell and he tilted his head to the side, looking down at Draco. "Or do I? Long-suffering feelings, hmm?"

"Shut up," Draco snapped, although he was smiling, and then he paused. Uncharacteristically, he impishly rose onto his tiptoes and kissed Harry's cheek, then turned back to Narcissa. "Well, Mother? It seems you were exactly right about how he'd react. Are you going to keep standing there, or..?"

Narcissa rolled her eyes at Draco and waved a hand at him, shooing him away. "Let me have the chance to stretch my feet. All the revolting details of the things I've done as a dog as rushing back to me, and I need some time to process. You and Harry should go back to his cabin. I'll be fine." 

"Do you have your wand?" Draco asked shortly, and Narcissa drew it from a pocket inside her robe. He nodded shortly and then turned, looking at Harry. "Shall we?"

"We shall," Harry replied, reclaiming Draco's hand and then safely apparating them back to his cabin. 

As soon as their feet touched solid ground he claimed Draco's mouth in a hungry kiss, pushing him against the wall. 

Someone needed to be shown exactly how much Harry thought of him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I hope you all liked that! I think it wraps up a fair amount of the loose ends in the plot so far, and shows more of Draco and Harry's character. I could either end this in a chapter or two or extend the story to include Drarry's return to Hogwarts (just based off of where I see the plot evolving to). Is there anything you all would prefer? Please leave comments and kudos, I live for kind comments and check so often! <3

**Author's Note:**

> Well, it's begun. Hit me up at @pluspeggy on Instagram if you want to chat or give me reviews and such. I plan to update at least once a week after tonight, but kudos and comments inspire me to work fast! ;)


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